


How Bones Won A Card Game (And Jim's Heart)

by AlyssiaInWonderland



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies), Star Trek: The Original Series
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, Crushes, First Kiss, Fluff, Getting Together, M/M, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, and yet more fluff, seriously this is really freaking fluffy, they're complete dorks and they're crushing on each other so hard
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-08
Updated: 2018-06-08
Packaged: 2019-05-19 19:46:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,072
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14880056
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlyssiaInWonderland/pseuds/AlyssiaInWonderland
Summary: Jim's crushing hard on Bones, and on a night hanging out with their mutual friends, playing card games, it comes to a head.Basically just adorable getting-together fluff!!! <3





	How Bones Won A Card Game (And Jim's Heart)

Jim grinned lazily, holding his drink in one hand and letting the other rest on his knee. He felt warm and loose, and very fond, as he watched his friends laugh and shout and occasionally shove each other exuberantly. They were sat in a circle, Jim having stolen the patch of floor just close enough to count as inside the circle while near enough to the wall that he could lean against it. 

He’d let himself be defeated in the card game far too easily – he wasn’t even sure if they were playing Blackjack anymore, it might have been anything at this point. Poker, Mao, he didn’t have a clue. But there was a unique joy to not needing to know, to being able to watch Uhura gloating over her hand while Christine pecked her on the cheek for good luck. He grinned, seeing Chekov and Sulu playing their game together, with Sulu deferring to Chekov, because if anyone Jim knew could count cards it would definitely be the Russian mathematics genius. The kid was studying pure maths – and everyone knew the maths students were completely insane.

“Hey, laddie, want me to deal you in?” Scotty shouted over to him, and it broke his pensive reverie.

“What are you playing now?” Jim asked, ignoring Janice’s repeated pokes to his shoulder in her attempt to get him to join in. 

“Mao!” Chekov said, practically bouncing for all that he was kneeling on the floor. 

“Alright, deal me in, but I hope you all know I’m gonna be out again really fast.” Jim put down his drink and shuffled closer into the circle to collect his cards. “Well, okay, maybe I’ll beat Sulu.”  
  
“Hey!” Hikaru glared at Jim without heat.

“Darlin’, it’s the truth an’ you know it. Why else d’you always let Chekov play for you?” Bones grinned, throwing Jim an amused glance that made him grin back instinctively.

“It is a quite logical move; I believe Chekov can count cards. However, this method will not avail you in Mao. Mao is all about rules, and keeping track of them. As a Physics student, I rather think knowing the natural laws will put me at an advantage.” Spock, as ever, sounded calm and reasonable even as he was giving out his version of trash-talk.

“Logic ain’t got a thing t’do with it.” Bones smirked. “An’ if you reckon you can beat sheer determination with that damn eidetic memory of yours, you’re goddamn wrong.”  
  
“Was that a challenge, not-yet-Doctor?” Spock raised an eyebrow, levelling an unimpressed stare at Bones.

“Why, feelin’ challenged? I bet…this bag of haribos, that I could beat ya.” Bones dangled the unopened packet in front of Spock, snatching it away before he could respond.

“I’ll take that bet!” Nyota said, with a grin. “Spock would kick your ass, and share the sweets, wouldn’t you, Spock?”

“Of course, Nyota.”  
  
“’Course you’d take his side.” Bones scoffed, before picking up his hand. “Well, c’mon then, let’s go! This game ain’t gonna play itself!”

“Eager for victory, Bones?” Jim commented, grinning.

“You bet your ass I am.” Bones growled, and the intensity on his face made Jim need to look away. 

Scotty started them off, declaring the game of Mao, and the first few moves were filled with the chaos of attempting to remember which rules were currently in play. Sulu, as predicted, was first to fold, because he ended up forgetting to take a shot when he put in a royal card. Christine was next, then Jim, because he was so busy being distracted by the adorable frown of concentration on Bones’ face that he forfeited his turn. Jim pretended he didn’t see Nyota eyeing him suspiciously, and sat back, letting himself watch the game now he didn’t need to truly keep track of all the rules.

Slowly the others were whittled down, Scotty losing all his cards, followed by Janice, then Chekov, until finally it was just Bones, Spock and Nyota in play.

“Come on, boys, Nyota’s got you both on the ropes!” Janice called, hoping to distract one of them and give Nyota an edge, and she looked over at her gratefully. Unfortunately, that was exactly when Spock laid down an ace.

According to their established rules, the last player to touch the stack of cards in the centre when an ace was played, would be out of the game. Spock, obviously, kept his hand down, assuring his place in the final round, but Nyota was beat to it by Bones, due to Janice’s encouragement.

“Dammit!” She sighed, and dropped the rest of her hand, rolling her shoulders and leaning against Christine. “Well, Spock, you better win this for us!” 

“I shall endeavour to do so, Nyota.” Spock said, serenely despite the twitch of a grin at the corner of his lips.

“You’re goin’ down, Spock. Nothin’ personal.” Bones said, with a cocky grin that Jim rarely saw him bring out. Rare, but precious, Jim thought, enjoying the way the skin around Bones’ eyes and nose wrinkled with his smile. It was mesmerising, the play of expressions across his face – beautiful without being perfect, without even trying, simply because it was a true window into his emotions. Bones had always worn his frowns upon his face, but rarely his heart upon his sleeve. It was times like this, when he was relaxed, words and movements easy and casually certain, when he let it show. Bones’ eyes met his, and Jim’s breath stopped, seeing a world of wonder in Bones’ mischief-filled features. Then the moment passed. 

“You and Spock can use the table for the final showdown, I reckon. Lads, lasses, all you folks, let’s watch ‘em from a good vantage!” Scotty immediately stole one of the chairs around the table, and Christine and Nyota lunged for the sofa, Pavel stealing the last spot there and tugging out a chair for Hikaru. Janice took another chair, and then there were only two left. As Spock sat down, Jim took his chance and lunged, taking the final chair for himself. 

Bones stood next to him, raising an eyebrow.

“An’ jus’ what d’you think you’re doin’ sittin’ there, kid?”  
  
“Don’t know what you mean!” Jim said, cheerfully.

“If standin’ to play this makes me lose, I’m gonna blame you, just so ya know.” Bones glared at him, and his determination made Jim want to giggle. 

“Well then, guess you’ll have to sit on my lap.” Jim challenged. He wasn’t sure what he expected to happen, but it wasn’t what happened next.

“Guess so.” Bones shrugged, and sat in Jim’s lap, folding himself into position comfortably, leaning forward a little to reach the table. “Y’alright back there, darlin’?”  
  
“I’m good.” Jim flailed his arms around a bit, trying to figure out where to put them, until Bones grabbed his hands and secured them around his waist. Jim tensed, feeling the muscle and warmth, restraining the itch to twitch and burrow his fingers under his blue t-shirt and feel the skin there.

“My God, man, you’re tense. Relax, will you?” Bones stroked his thumb gently over the back of Jim’s hand, and Jim bit his lip, holding in the shiver at the sensation, and then relaxed, letting himself enjoy their proximity without guilt. “There ya go. Can ya see?”  
  
“Mmm. No. But it’s fine. I can hear ok!” Jim said, brightly, glad that the others seemed occupied with moving the cards across to the table rather than listening in. He still wasn’t sure what this was, why everything Bones did had a good chance of making him feel so confusingly thrilled, and he instinctively didn’t want anyone to notice and give it a name until he’d figured out how he felt for himself.

“If you’re sure.” Bones gave Jim’s hand another gentle stroke, then released him as he took his cards from Scotty. If the others cared that Jim was now his cushion, they didn’t say so.

“And so, it begins!” Janice declared, knocking on the table once to start the round.

Initially, Jim tried to keep track of what was happening, straining to tilt his head to the side enough that he could see what was happening, but eventually he gave up. The world was spinning just a little – not because he was drunk, exactly, but he was content and slightly tired, and his arms were wrapped around Bones in a way that felt intrinsically comforting. Before he even realised it, he’d pressed his cheek to Bones’ back, watching the game through the reflection off the window.

Jim felt slightly spaced out, and it took him a moment to notice that Bones’ reflection was smirking – honest to God smirking. Before he could even react, Bones placed down a card and slapped his hand down on it.

“And it’s an ace! Guess who jus’ won the bet, y’all?” Bones lifted his arms up to proclaim his victory, then leaned back so his head rested on Jim’s shoulder. Jim watched as he turned, their faces almost touching. “Hey, Jim, I won!”

“You sure did, Bones.” Jim said, going for bracing and congratulatory but ending up somewhere between breathy and amused. 

Bones carefully stood, to claim the haribo packet, while Spock looked on with an indulgent tolerance that was guaranteed to raise Bones’ hackles if he spotted it. 

“So, tell us, Len, how does victory taste?” Nyota managed to put in a distraction until Spock’s face was once more a composed mask, astute as ever.

Bones cracked open the bag, and dropped a sweet into his mouth theatrically before turning back to them.

“Tastes real sweet, darlin’.” He replied, and then winked, like some ridiculous, adorable, roguish cliché. 

“My, you’re playful tonight!” Christine said, jokingly surprised.

“Hey! Ain’t no need to get like that, I’m plenty playful!” Bones protested. Jim joined in with the pointed looks his friends gave him, and Bones rolled his eyes at them. “Alright, maybe I’m a tad grumpy. But we’ve finished up our exams! An’ if that ain’t call for some loosenin’ up and celebration I don’t know what is, dammit!”

“I’ll drink to that.” Hikaru said, with a smile, picking up his drink with the hand not currently captured by Pavel, who was curled up on the end of the sofa now, clinging to Hikaru’s hand.

As they started to deal out cards for another game, Jim stood and wandered back to his old seat, leaning against the wall and watching his friends, his brain zoning out a little as he absorbed the friendly atmosphere that felt so much like home.

“Want to be dealt in, Jim?” Pavel asked, as he shuffled the cards far to expertly for a first year.

“I’m ok, thanks.” Jim said, aware his voice sounded rather subdued compared to his usual tone. He didn’t mind, though, happy to just watch as Bones waved off the idea of playing another round.

“I’ll finish on a high, thanks, darlin’.”

Bones moved towards Jim, and sat down beside him, close enough that even a slight tilt would make their sides touch.

“Y’alright, Jim? You seem mighty quiet – should I be worryin’?” Bones looked about an inch away from pulling out a tricorder and scanning him there and then.

“No, Bones, it’s fine.” Jim laughed softly, passing a hand over his face to clear his mind of the soft fuzz enveloping it. “Really, I’m good. I’m just…kinda tired, and, well…happy, I guess?”  
  
“Hm.” Bones examined him, eyes sharp, before relaxing and seeming to accept Jim’s word. “Well, I’m glad you’re happy, kid.” His tone was soft, and it made Jim’s insides flip in that peculiar, excited way that he was struggling to pin down.

“Thanks.” Jim let himself drift into silence, a wave of fondness overwhelming him, making him slowly let himself collapse a little to the left, resting his head on Bones’ shoulder. “Hey, Bones, have you ever read ‘Frankenstein?” 

“Have I ever – of course I have!” Bones said, quietly but indignantly. “What the hell kind of Doctor would I make if I hadn’t?”  
  
“What, it’s not like it’s filled with any actual science!” Jim said, defensively.

“That as may be, Dr Frankenstein makes a good person t’emphatically not model myself after.” Bones said, with a grin.

“That’s fair. I’m glad you agree Dr Frankenstein sucks ass.”

“Well, that was an eloquent take on the analysis of a classical piece of literature.” Bones teased, sarcastically. Jim watched his hands pick at the frayed edge of one of the rips in his jeans, before responding.

“Well, I could waste my time talking about how he abandons his creation, calls it a monster and in doing so effectively gives rise to the very thing he feared because he allowed himself to project his own issues onto his ‘child’. And how it’s almost a study in the psychology of abandonment and how self-hate can be externalised through the parent-child relationship, and how it’s also a way of expressing the idea that all too often we end up becoming what we are perceived as due to societal alienation and expectation. Or that none of this takes away from the fact the creature’s actions were wrong but it does explain how it can be understandable, because if you’re never taught how to differentiate between right and wrong by the person who was supposed to be responsible for your development when you were young and vulnerable, it puts you at such a significant disadvantage that by the time you’ve realised it’s your own responsibility to educate yourself on issues you’ve probably already done some terrible shit, and it’s still your fault but it’s also unfair and those issues are also on the head of the person who absolved themselves of their own moral culpability by labelling you as a monster?” Jim paused for breath, realising that he as straightened up and become energised, animated as he gesticulated wildly with his hands, trying to make his point passionately. “I guess I thought ‘sucks ass’ was better than a rant, but you got the rant anyway.” He laughed, self-consciously.

“Damn, Jim, you’ve got some quality rage and analysis brewin’, huh?” Jim blushed, and Bones immediately looked stricken. “No, that’s not an – I didn’t mean it like that, darlin’. I jus’ mean…it’s nice t’see ya so invested in somethin’, is all. It’s kinda lovely. I like listenin’ to ya.”

“Huh.” Jim blinked, taking in Bones’ genuine expression and smiling without quite meaning to. “I enjoy talking to you, so that works out!” He was surprised by how much his words were honest rather than the charm they usually would have been.

“I can think of some other things we might enjoy doin’.” Bones’ tone was dark, his voice low, and he gave Jim a grin that was, he was categorically certain, right next to the word _wicked_ in the dictionary. Bones’ eyes twinkled with a mischievous confidence, the kind that usually belonged to Jim, except here their roles were reversed, and it was a side of Bones that was so wonderfully unexpected, so joyously sweet and teasing in all the ways that he usually overlaid with grumpiness. Jim found himself once again breathless, caught up and entranced by Bones’ boldness, and his poise, the way his arm rested on his knee and the effortless elegance of the curve of his smile. Everything about him in that moment thrilled Jim, bone-deep, and wasn’t that ironic.

That’s when Jim knew. This wasn’t some idle fascination, or casual interest. This was the real deal, excitement and joy fizzing dizzily in his chest even as his functioning mind began to swear internally, because, well, holy _shit_ , he was crushing on Bones. His best friend.

“Hey!” Jim nudged Bones’ shoulder to try and break the mounting tension between them, desperate to give some semblance of normality after his gargantuan revelation.

Bones swayed out with the shove, and returned it playfully, poking at Jim’s shoulder. Jim grabbed his hand, and poked his tongue out in victory.

“Ha! I have defeated your plan!”

“Yeah, sure. My amazin’ master-plan to take over the world by pokin’ you in retaliation.” Bones deadpanned. 

“Yep!” Jim popped the ‘p’, smiling winningly at Bones, slightly distracted by the way Bones’ body was warm up against him, his hand relaxed in his own.

“Well then, here’s your sweet victory.” Bones winked, and lifted his other hand, holding one of the sweets. “Open up, darlin’.”  
  
Jim was still mentally recovering from the gorgeous devastation of receiving a targeted wink, when he registered what Bones meant to do. He parted his lips, intending to protest, but instead he let out a short breath, and then nodded, opening his mouth and tilting his head up. Bones carefully lowered the sweet into his mouth, and Jim closed his lips over it, catching the tip of Bones’ finger with it.  He pulled back, taking the sweet with as delicate a press of teeth as possible. 

Bones’ fingers hovered just over his now hypersensitive lips as he hastily chewed the confection, licking the sugar off his lips. He saw the grains still clinging to Bones’ fingertip, and without engaging his conscious brain, he raised his free hand to meet Bones’, guiding his finger to his mouth and licking off the remaining sugar. When he was done, he looked up at Bones, letting their hands drift to rest on his lap, and blushed. Bones was staring at him, pupils dilated, lips parted, unmistakeable lust covering his expression, which just made Jim blush more, the feeling prickly on his cheeks and shivering in his chest.

Jim was the first to look away, focussing instead on Bones’ hands. He stroked a line up the back of his middle finger, up to the wrist, and then back down again, feeling Bones shiver a little next to him and enjoying being the cause of such a reaction. He carefully bent and rearranged Bones’ fingers, hyper-focussed on the play of tendons across the back on his hand and forearm, and slightly giddy with the way Bones trusted him, left his hand relaxed to his manipulation.

“You have interesting hands.” Jim said, so quietly he wasn’t sure if Bones heard him, but it didn’t matter, because Bones’ other hand pulled away and then rested on his head, fingers combing through his hair gently, and it took everything in him to not sigh and collapse into the gentleness immediately. He kept moving Bones’ fingers, enjoying the give, and then felt a slight tug, soft but somehow inexorable, and he tilted his head easily with it, letting Bones’ hand in his hair decide how his head moved just as Bones let him guide his fingers.

Something about it, the fragile, swirling intimacy, made Jim’s heart beat faster, and he could feel his mind slipping into a hazy, dream-like state. He felt more than heard Bones’ soft laugh, thrumming in his chest, as he carefully guided Jim’s head to rest on his shoulder, resuming stroking through it gently as Jim let his eyes drift shut, soothed and turned on by the sensations and closeness in equal measure.

Eventually, Jim tuned back in, because the door near them opened as Janice waved goodbye, looking down at them with a friendly smile. 

“See you later, you two!” She let the door shut behind her, the draft pulling Jim fully back to the present.

He uncurled himself carefully, slowly releasing Bones’ hand, and stood, stretching and then looking down at Bones.

“Oh man, does everything look all crumpled and weird?” Jim asked, turning to try and examine his clothes.

“You look jus’ fine, darlin’.” Bones said, his eyes tracking over Jim’s whole body before coming to rest on his worried face.

“Thanks, Bones.” Jim grinned, then turned to look at the rest of their group. Scotty was, predictably, still up, though Spock was already curled up on top of his bed, fast asleep despite everyone else being there. Nyota and Christine had stolen Scotty’s bed, but he didn’t seem to mind. Pavel and Hikaru stood up.

“Thanks for the offer, but really it’ll get crowded in here, and our dorms are nearby.” Hikaru grinned, and patted Scotty’s shoulder in a bracing goodbye. He patted Bones and Jim on the shoulders too, and eyed them with a little too much understanding for Jim’s comfort before he and Pavel left. 

“You gonna be alrigh’ without a bed, Scotty?” Bones asked, with his usual concern.

“Ach, I’ll be fine. Be off with ya! I’ll take the sofa, and be none the worse for it.” Scotty waved them away, and so Jim followed Bones out of Scotty and Spock’s shared room. As soon as they were outside, Bones turned to him.

“Hey, Jim. Walk with me?” Bones took his hand, tentatively, as if afraid Jim would pull away, which was incredible when Jim couldn’t have felt more of a pull towards Bones if he’d been a comet and Bones was the Earth.

“I’d like that.” Jim whispered, feeling himself blush again as he looked down at their intertwined fingers. As they headed down the stairs, made slightly awkward by their joined hands, Jim found he was in part clumsy because of tiredness, and in part clumsy because the contact between them was so distractingly electric.

They walked through the streets, Jim not really paying attention to where they were headed.

“I didn’t realise it was so dark still.” Jim commented – his sense of time passing had been warped, thinking that both more and less time had passed.

“It’s four in the mornin’, darlin’.” Bones said, his tone amused and the happiest that Jim had ever heard him.

They stopped moving, and Jim realised they were inside the small park in between the various dorms.

“Look up.” Bones tilted his head up to the sky, and Jim copied him.

The stars shone above them, bright pinpricks against a dark sky only disrupted by the silhouettes of trees. The sight pushed painful shards of wonder into his chest, and he found himself smiling broadly, unable to contain the excitement and love he had for their beauty, and touched beyond belief that Bones had thought of this, had remembered. He cast his gaze to Bones, who was watching the sky with unguarded joy. Jim couldn’t remember ever seeing him like this before. It suited him. 

He tried to examine this feeling inside him. It was light and warm and felt like flying. He’d always been worried that this kind of thing would tie him down, make him inured to the soaring joys of nature and life. Now, he thought perhaps he’d been a fool to think that love could possibly be so mundane.

Bones looked at Jim, curiously, clearly having noticed his distraction.

“You doin’ alrigh’? Cold?” Bones was, as ever, alert and protective, and the fondness inside him swelled.

“I’m fine, Bones.” Jim said, smiling, brimming with affection. “It’s just, well…” Jim’s sentence drifted off as he lost himself in mapping the tiny freckles visible on Bones’ features in the soft starlight.

“Well? Are ya gonna finish tha’ sentence or-“ Jim felt Bones release the rest of the sentence in a puff of air as he leaned in to kiss him.

It was a simple press of lips, skin-on-skin, and it shouldn’t have been as overwhelmingly good as it was. He pulled back, and took in Bones’ slightly dazed, pleased expression.

“Oh.” Bones said, sounding a little stunned and a lot happy.

“Yeah, oh.” Jim grinned, aware that his tone was sickeningly besotted and not caring in the slightest. He leaned in to kiss him again, relishing the movement of their lips against each other, the wonderful, hot brush of pleasure as their tongues ghosted over lip, not quite daring to go further just yet.

It was soft, and achingly sweet, and tentative and fragile and new, and all kinds of wonderful things. Jim drew back, and laughed, utterly delighted. He took a few steps back, while Bones watched him, confused and curious.

Jim punched the air, grinning ridiculously wide.

“Yes! I kissed Bones!” He didn’t quite shout, but it was close, and then Bones was behind him, laughing, and wrapping his arms around him. Jim leaned back into the embrace, thrilling at the brush of lips on the back of his neck.

“You’re such a complete dork, y’know that right?”  
  
“Yeah. But you _like it_.”

“Yeah, kid. I really kinda do.”

**Author's Note:**

> Heya!!! Hope you enjoyed this! It's just some fluff that I felt strongly compelled to write! <3
> 
> As ever, comments and kudos feed my dark soul :p


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